Roller paint applicator



Aug. 12, 1952 J. VADEN ET AL ROLLER PAINT APPLICATOR Filed Feb. 21, 1949 i 38 .96 9? g3 g0 rZ' ME-s L. WIDE/v,

WZERE/VH COLL/NS,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 12, 1952 RoLtEa PAINT APPLICATOBi.

James L. Vaden and Warren H- Collins, Inglewood, Calif.,, assignors to James Warren 00., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 21, 1949, Serial No. 77,486

This invention relates generally to improvements in roller applicators for applying liquid coatings, such as paints, to wall and like surfaces, and is directed. particularly to self-feeding applicators of the type employing a roller carried by and internally fed through a tubular handle having a grip portion extending transversely of the roller, and a terminal section received within and serving as a bearing support for the roller.

Our general objective is to incorporate insuch applicators, various improvements serving to feed and distribute the paint to better advantage than the conventional applicators, and further to en-' tallic liner tube (as by molding the plastic to the tube), which has its bearing support on the handle tube. When the plastic roller is formed with one end closed, the metallic liner tube may extend throughout any desired length of the roller bore. As will appear, by virtue of the later described passage communications in the feed or handle tube and roller, we assure positive and uniform feed of the paint from the handle radially through the plastic roller to its surface, all in a manner permitting metal-to-metal'journaling of the roller on the handle.

The invention embodies further novel features with respect to the detachable connection between the handle and roller, the maintenance of a liquid seal preventing paint leakage at the connection, and in the same joint assembly, the provision of independently adjustable means for holding the covering on the roller. According to the preferred form of the invention, the roller is releasably held to the handle by a nut threaded into the open end of the roller beyond the metallic liner tube, the nut serving further' to maintain between the liner tube and handle fed tube a liquid seal ring, positioned preferably within an end counter-bore in the liner tube. Retention of the roller covering is efiect'edby a second nut, carried by the first mentioned nut,

13 Claims. (Cl. 15-128) and'adjustable independently to confine the ering against the end of the roller.

The invention has various additional objects, all of which together with the aforementioned features and details of an illustrative embodiment, will be understood to better advantage from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general view showing in perspective; v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly sectional view taken longitudinally through the applicator'roller, with a portion of the roller surface exposed beneath the covering;

Fig. 8 is a cross section on line 3-3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view developed in a single'pIane, illustrating the plastic roller surfaceconfiguration; and i I Fig/5' is a fragmentary section on line 5-5 Of Fig. 4'.

the applicator Referring first to Fig. 1, the applicator'comprises generally a handle section l0, and. a head or roller section ll mounted as will appear for rotation on the terminal portion of the handle section. The latter is shown typically to comprise an enlarged grip l2 having a hose connection l3 with a paint spray tank, the grip and reversely curved arm portion ['4 of the handle section being tubular, orcontaining a passage l5 through which the paint is delivered from hose l3 to the roller assembly ll. contain any appropriate type of valve (not shown) for controlling delivery of paint to the roller, the handle being shown as having at its under side a push button actuator It for the valve. 4 I

As particularly illustrated in Figs. 21 and 3, a tubular terminal section I! of the handle, extendingxnormal to the. axis of the grip I2, is attached to the intermediate, reversely curved portionv I4,as by reception of a reduced end 11a within counterbore l8 in the end of tube M. A pair of flanges or washers l9 and 20 are clamped between shoulders 21 and 22, and the described joined parts may be integrated as by appropriate soldering or brazing e. g., at the abutting sur-' faces of the handle portion. Mend and Washer 19. Inwardly of washer 20, the tube I1 carries a rubber O-ring 23 held in place by a retaining ring 24 and lock ring 25. I v

The roller assembly I l comprisesa plastic body section 26 of generally cylindrical form closed at its outer end 25a and containing a straight bore 21. At its opposite end, the plastic section. has a counterbore-28 threaded at 29 for purposes that The grip I2 may will later appear. The body 26 contains a metallic liner or bearing tube 30 which may extend through bore 21, having at one end an enlarged diameter portion 3| received within counterbore '28. The plastic material of the body 26 may be molded to the bearing tube 30 so that they are in effect integrated. The enlarged end 3| of the tube contains counterbores 33 and 34 receiving the O-ring 23 and the washers I9 and 20, as illustrated, so that the O-ring affords an effective liquid-tight seal preventing leakage of paint outwardly through the end connection.

The outer surface of the tubular handle sec- I tion I1 contains a series of uniformly spaced, annular recesses or grooves 35 fedindividually ably securing the roller to the feed tube, a flange with paint from the tube through apertures 36.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, recesses 35 register with alined radial openings, 31 and 38 respectively in the bearing tube 30 and plastic bodyv 26. By virtue of the illustrated feed passage arrangement, it is possible to assure uniformdelivery of the paint from tube I1 outwardly to the plastic roller surface 39, and then because of the arrangement and spacing of the passages38, to afford uniform delivery of the paint to the covering 40. r v

The plastic roller surface 39 is molded to form a series of intersecting diagonal grooves-represented by the lines 4| defining between them the diamond-shaped areas 42 and 43, the roller passages 38 having-the illustrated locations at the intersections of the grooves. As viewed diagonally of the roller, alternate areas 43 have smooth segmental spherical surfaces, while the surfaces of areas 42 are beveled at 44 toward the bases of the grooves to afford clearances between the central areas 45 and the surfaces of the adjacent areas 43, and thus assure passage of the paint from openings 38 along the courses of the grooves uniformly to the entire undersurface of the covering described.

Broadly considered, the roller covering 40 may be made of any suitable material permeable by the paint, preferably consisting of sheepskin perforated at P and applied snugly to the roller surface and end at 26a, the covering being held in place on the roller by confinement of its endfiap 46 against the roller end face 41.

The roller assembly is releasable and rotatably held to the handle by means of a tube nut 48 threaded into counterbore 29, the end 49 of the nut being in shouldered relation to the washer or flange 19. The covering 40 is held in place by engagement of its end flap 46 with nut 50 threaded at St on nut 48 and adjustable independently to release or tighten the covering flap against the end face 41 of the roller.

i We claim:

- 1. A liquid surface coating applicator 'comprising a non-metallic rotatable roller closed at one end and containing a bore and at the opposite end a threaded counter-bore, a metallic liner tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a liquid feed tube received within and serving as a bearing support for the liner tube and roller, said feed tube and liner tube and roller having communicating liquid passing radial openings, a nut threaded into said roller counter-bore for-releasably securing the roller to the feed tube, a flange on said feed tube, and a liquid seal ring surroundingthefeed tube within a counter-bore in the end of said liner tube and engaged by said flange. v v

2. A liquid surface coating applicator I com on said feed tube, a liquid seal ring surrounding the feed tube within a gounter-bore in the end of said liner tube and engaged by said flange, a covering on the roller, and a second nut threaded on the first mentioned nut and engageable with said covering to hold it against the end of the roller.

3. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a roller of generally'cylindrical form adapted to carrya removable liquid-passing covering, the outer surface of said roller containing intersecting parallel recesses defining and formingthe common boundaries of polygonal areas each area being contiguous on all sides to adjacent areas, the surfaces of alternate areas between adjacent parallel recesses being beveled toward the bases of the recesses, and theroller containing radial liquid passing openings uniformly spaced at intersections of said recesses. a

4. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a roller of generally cylindrical form adapted to carry a removable liquid-passing covering,-the outer surface of said roller containing intersecting parallelv recesses defining and forming the common boundaries of substantially square shaped areas each area being contiguous on all sides to adjacent areas, the surfaces of alternate areas between adjacent parallel recesses being beveled toward the bases of. the recesses,

and the roller-containing radial liquid passing openings uniformly spaced atintersections of said recesses.

5. A liquidv surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller containing a, bore, a metallictube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a tubular liquid feed handle having a grip portion and a terminal section,-said handle containing a fluid passageway extending continuously within said grip portion and terminal section, an elongated extent of said terminal section being received within and corresponding in, external diameter substantially to the internal diameter of an elongated: extent of thetube'sothat no. substantial space exists between the tube and section along said extents thereof, andmeans fordetachably securingthe roller to the handle for rotation thereon, said terminal section, tube and roller having along said extents registering radial openings through which liquid is discharged in direct flow from saidsection outwardly through the tube to the surface of the roller.

6. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller containing a bore, a metallic tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated withthe roller, a tubular liquid feed handle having a grip portion and a terminal section an elongated extent of which is received within and corresponds in external diameter substantially to the internal diameter of the tube, so that no substantial space exists between the tube and section along said extents thereof, means for detachably securin the roller to the handle, said terminal section, tube and roller having along said extents registering radial openings through which liquid is discharged in direct flow from said section outwardly through the tube to the surface of the roller, and a deformable element contained in a space between said section and tube beyond said extents thereof and forming between said tube and section a liquid seal. 7

7. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller containing a bore, a metallic tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a tubular liquid feed handle entering one end of the roller and having a grip portion and a terminal section an elongated extent of which is received within and corresponding in external diameter substantially to the internal diameter of an elongated extent of the tube so that no substantial space exists between the tube and section along said extents thereof, and a tubular nut threaded into a counterbore in the non-metallic roller beyond said tube and positively but releasably locking the roller to the handle at the end of the roller entered by the handle, said terminal section, tube and roller having along said extents registering radial openings through which liquid is discharged in direct flow from said section outwardly to the surface of the roller.

8. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller containing a bore, a liquid pervious flexible covering for said roller, a metallic tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a tubular liquid feed handle having a grip portion and a terminal section received within and corresponding in external diameter substantially to the internal diameter of the tube, a tubular nut threaded into a counterbore of the non-metallic roller beyond said tube and positively but releasably locking the roller to the handle, said terminal section, tube and roller having registering radial openings through which liquid is discharged outwardly to the surface of the roller, and a second nut threaded on the first mentioned nut and clamping said flexible covering against th end of the roller.

9. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a roller, a tubular liquid feed handle terminal extending into one end of the roller, said roller being rotatable about the handle terminal and containing radial liquid passing openings, an inner tubular nut threaded into said end of the roller and positively engaging said handle terminal to releasably lock the latter against withdrawal from the roller, and an outer nut threaded on said inner nut for engagement with a covering to be carried by the roller to hold the covering against the roller.

10. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller closed at one end and containing a bore, a metallic tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a tubular liquid feed handle having a grip portion and a terminal section entering an open end of the roller and received within and corresponding in exteral diameter substantially to the internal diameter of said tube so'that no substantial space exists between the tube and section along extended portions thereof, said roller and tube being freely rotatable on the handle and the handle containing a fluid passageway extending continuously within said grip portion and terminal section, and means within said open end of the roller positively and releasably locking the roller against removal from the handle, said ter- .minal section and the tube and roller having responding in external diameter substantially to' the internal diameter of said tube, means within said open end of the roller for positively but releasably locking the roller to the handle, said terminal section and the tube and roller having communicating radial openings through which liquid is discharged outwardly to the surface of the roller, and means within a counterbore in the end of said tube inwardly beyond said locking means forming between the tube and said handle section a liquid seal.

12. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic rotatable roller closed at one end and containing a bore and at the opposite end a threaded counterbore, a metallic liner tube contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a liquid feed tube received within an open end of the roller and serving as a bearing support for the tube and roller, said feed tube andliner tube and roller having communicating liquid passing radial openings, means forming a shoulder on said feed tube, a nut threaded into said roller counter-bore and engaging said shoulder to positively but releasably lock the roller to the feed tube, and liquid seal means about the feed tube at the inside of said nut.

13. A liquid surface coating applicator comprising a non-metallic roller containing a bore and having surface recesses, a metallic liner sleeve contained within said bore and substantially integrated with the roller, a liquid feed tube extending into said sleeve and serving as a bearing support for the sleeve and roller, said roller and sleeve being freely rotatable about the feed tube, the external diameter of the tube corresponding to the internal diameter of the sleeve, said feed tube containing a series of openings communicating with annular grooves in the outer surface of the tube and said grooves registering in all rotative positions of the roller and sleeve with radial openings in the liner sleeve and roller leading to said recesses in the surface of the roller.

JAMES L. VADEN. WARREN H. COLLINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,034,950 Axsiom Aug. 6, 1912 1,817,683 Geiger Aug. 4, 1931 2,281,773 Kollmann May 5, 1942 2,325,867 Matsakas Aug. 3, 1943 2,357,763 Pratt Sept. 5, 1944 2,478,318 Raub Aug. 9, 1949 2,509,954 Barnes et al May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 218,069 Great Britain July 3, 1924 

